Retailers continue to roll out smart meters. But it hasn’t gone smoothly for everyone.
Peter told us of the saga when Genesis initiated the installation of his smart meter in Wellington. Genesis used a company called Vircom to remove the old meter and install the new smart meter.
However, the contractor did a poor job. When the door to the new meter box was opened, the meter fell forward several centimetres: it was held in only by the wires connected behind it. The contractor also failed to turn the power back on, which would have caused a further headache for Peter, who was on holiday at the time (he found out about the power problem from his security monitoring company).
Phone calls to Genesis achieved nothing. Technicians were sent to check the lines were working but they didn’t check the meter – although Peter was assured that a “photographic audit” of the meter installation showed everything was in order. (Peter told us Genesis later conceded its photos were of a meter box at a different address!)
After more than four weeks of waiting Peter paid for his own electrician to secure the meter. He then wrote to Vircom and, after receiving no reply, contacted the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission. That brought some rapid results – within a day Peter had received an apology from Genesis and Vircom, an assurance that the contractor would be more closely monitored, a refund on his expenses, and a “thank you” gift from Genesis.
Peter is pleased the episode is now sorted but can’t believe such a simple job could be so badly done.
Long-running hassle
Having a new meter installed has caused an even more long-running hassle for David, one of our members from Whitianga. Contact installed two new meters at David’s home in 2008 – and it recently informed him that one of the meters had stopped working six months ago. Accompanying this letter was a bill for Contact’s estimate of all the electricity that David had used over those six months.
This estimate was more than $600 above what David had been billed for the same period in the previous year. Yet David had done nothing to increase his electricity use from one year to the next.
David was not keen on paying the estimated bill. Following advice received from the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission and Consumer NZ he was able to negotiate with Contact and paid a much reduced amount based on his previous year's invoice.
More information
- Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission - www.egcomplaints.co.nz
- Compare electricity providers - www.powerswitch.org.nz
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I thought that telling me they'd be upgrading my meter some time, whether I wanted it or not, between 6th Dec and 24th was a bit too vague. So I called and arranged a time. Between 0800 and 1000 on the 19th they said.
Took the morning off to be there. No one showed, no one called. That's real customer service there.
... and then denied it! They came, as arranged, to change over our old meter to a smart meter whilst we were out. When we arrived home a little later in the day the alarm was sounding and could not be turned off - the main board was fried. Our neighbours confirmed that this happened at the the time Contact were on site. The burglar alarm company confirmed a power surge (consistent with changing meters) as the probable cause. Contact, incredibly, claim the damage to the alarm was a pure coincidence! After a wrangle they agreed to pay the excess on my home policy to replace the alarm but they wouldn't front up and replace the alarm themselves. Shame on them.
After reading all these tales of woe I just had to add one that is positive! We received a letter from the supplier (I think!! Can't remember if it was Mercury Energy or Vector who maintain the lines). But we received a letter first warning us it would be happening. Then a few weeks later a man arrived and came upstairs to advise he was there. He took about 10 minutes to change the metre. Came back upstairs to say all done. No problems. Sounds like we're lucky!!
We changed to Genesis 12 months ago. The previous provider had just put in a smart meter, which was working well (telecom based), but Genesis removed it, but couldn't replace with a genesis meter as reception a bit unreliable in that corner of the house. We got a bill at the time they came, but none since
- all estimates for the last 9 months. Irritating as I'd like to monitor usage compared with same time last year etc etc.
Had a similar problem to Colin Charles when my meter was intalled February 2010. I had two meters, one for normal power and one for the Night Store (Night Only). Has been like that since we moved in 9 years ago. Genesis said that I was on the wrong plan and changed it to so that the Night Only was all day. Not the rate I needed or required for a night store heater. After several calls to the helpdesk the third different person I got hold of took ownership and arranged for a contractor to check our setup. Finally got the plan changed back and backdated to when they changed it. All sorted by end of May. Have noticed that our plugs tend to trip the circuit more now, will keep a closer eye on it, looks like they have a quality control issue.
When my smart meter was installed we were at home. No knock on the door, the first we knew was when the power went off. Less than 1/2 hour later power was on on the installer was gone. No goodbye, no instruction on how the meter worked. The meter was installed in such a way I can no longer read the meter without opening the door to the meter box. The power board was left hanging on its hinges and all the mounting screws were missing. I was amazed at the shoddy workmanship. But worse was to come when I received my first bill to find they had changed my billing system to a more expensive plan and when I rang my supplier, Genesis they just said well that's the plan best suited for me. All I can say is I will be looking around to change my supplier and they said that's my privilege. Not the sort of reaction I was expecting. My meter board has still not been fixed so it looks like I will have to take my complaint to the Electrical Registration Board.
Genisis put in a new meter on 19th may and from 3rd of June till 8th June I copulnt even boil a Kettle with everything except frigas unplugged including hot water. rang them 3 times . Faultsman out 1x [ $50] who looked at the box said circit breaker has tripped not our problem!! Must be the stove ? he said and went not testing anything. The power kept going out every 3-5 minutes over the weekend no hotwater no alarm. when rang again on Monday Genisis said the would charge another $50. I rang an electrican and when he came I took photos of what he foun. 1 earth qwire flapping in the breeze , one cuircit wire at base of cuircit box nearly out altogether. Obviously done by whoever inserted the new meter.